The Day Everything Changed
by FlipChick23
Summary: Lucy's world is turned upside down when tragedy hits. How will she cope? Will she let her friends in enough to help? Hopefully will be a Cater and Lucy fic
1. Chapter 1

The Day Everything Changed

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters except for Lucy's family members.

Chapter 1.

One cold, wet, snowy day in January, Lucy Knight walked into the ER. She had a feeling that today was going to be one of those days where nothing went right. She brushed off the snow from her coat and bag before she walked into the lounge.

"Morning Lucy" Cleo said when she entered. Cleo was sitting at the table working on some charts.

"Morning Dr. Finch. Getting caught up?" Lucy asked opening her locker and putting her stuff away.

"Yeah it seemed as good a time as any. Seems like everyone is staying inside"

"I don't blame them. It's pretty crappy out there" Lucy said looking at a photo in her locker of her, her mom, and younger sister, before closing her locker.

" That's a nice picture you were looking at. Family?"

"Yeah. My mom and kid sister."

"Sweet. What's the age difference between you two?"

"14 years"

"Wow."

"I know. Well I should go check the board. Enjoy your charts" Lucy said heading to the door, just as Lydia poked her head in.

"Oh, I'm glad I found you two. MVA is on its way. Two cars collided head on, one went into the ditch the other hit a pole."

"How many people?" Cleo asked standing up.

"EMS said 3. They're about 5-6 minutes out" Lydia said as they all headed out to the hall and dawned gowns and gloves.

What happened next could only be described as a nightmare for Lucy.

"What've we got?" Cleo asked as the paramedics rolled in the first crash victim.

"45 year old female. She was driving the car that hit the pole" one medic said as he rattled off her vitals.

"Oh my god! Mom!" Lucy cried when she saw the women on the gurney.

"Lucy, are you positive this is her?" Cleo asked.

"Yes I'm sure!" Lucy shouted. "Mom, where's Kenzie?"

"Back" was all her mom said before she was wheeled into trauma 1.

Just then paramedics entered with a second crash victim.

"Young girl, was seat belted into the back of the first car that hit the pole. Brief LOC on sight, haven't been able to get her to talk" the medic said as she rattled off the young girls vitals.

"Lucy!" Cleo called as she waved Lucy over. "Is this your sister?"

"Mackie! Hey baby, can you answer me?" Lucy asked.

"LuLu?"

"Hey sweetie. Mackie can you answer Dr. Finch's questions that she asks you?"

"Where's mom?"

"She's in the other room. I'll go check on her if you help Dr. Finch ok?"

"Ok" Mackenzie said as Lucy left trauma 2 to go to trauma 1.

"Hey sweetie, I'm Dr. Finch. Can you tell me your name?"

"Mackenzie"

"That's a very pretty name. Can you tell me how old you are?"

"12"

"Alright, where does it hurt?"

"I want my mom."

"I know you do sweetie, but the other doctors are working on her"

"Then I want LuLu"

"LuLu? Is that Lucy?"

"Yes" Mackenzie said before she started crying.

"Lucy can you come in here please?" Cleo shouted into the other trauma room.

"You can't let her die" Lucy said to Mark as he and the others worked to save Lucy's mom. Then she left for the other trauma room.

"Your sister's asking for you, and don't take this the wrong way, but she is just as stubborn as you are. She stopped talking to me and wont talk to me unless you're here" Cleo said

"That sounds like Kenz" Lucy said going over to her sister.

"LuLu?"

"Hey Mackie. Did you tell Dr. Finch where it hurts?" Lucy asked moving some hair out of her sisters face.

"No"

"Did she ask?"

"Yes."

"Well, Mack, can you answer her so she can make you better?"

"Ok." Mackenzie said as Cleo asked her question again.

"Where does it hurt Mackenzie?" Cleo asked.

"My leg, back and tummy" Mackenzie said as Cleo pressed on her abdomen to get a better idea. "Ouch!"

"Sorry Mackenzie. Some one get a surgical consult down here please. Lucy can you hang on to her hands while I checkout her leg?" Cleo asked.

"Sure" Lucy said as she grasped her sister's hands. "Hey Mackie, look at me. Do you remember when we went to the beach on a summer vacation? You were what 5 at the time?"

"Yeah, that was fun. Ouch!" Mackenzie yelped.

"Sorry, ok Mackenzie, you have a broken leg" Cleo said looking at the scared 12 year old.

"Will I be able to dance again?" Mackenzie asked.

"You're a dancer?"

"Yeah. We. Were driving. Back. From the airport. We. Just. Got back. From a. competition. LuLu?"

"Mackie, you ok?"

"It hurts to breath. It feels like. Someone. Is sitting. On my. Chest"

"Pulse Ox is starting to fall, heart rates increasing…" Lydia said looking at the monitor.

"Lucy…" Cleo started.

"Yea, I know. Hey Mackie. Dr. Finch is going to give you something to make you sleepy. She's going to put a tube down your throat to help you breath. There's a change you may need surgery to fix your leg. But I will be here when you wake up. Ok?"

"Ok. Love you LuLu. And mom." Mackenzie said as she started falling asleep.

"Love you too Mackie" Lucy said before leaving. The last thing she wanted to see was her baby sister being intubated.

"Clear!" she heard Mark say as she entered the other trauma room.

"You promised! You and Dr. Carter promised!" Lucy shouted as they shocked her mom.

"We're working on it" Mark replied.

10 minutes later…..

"Time of death. 10:15am" Mark called.

"No!" Lucy shouted.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry. We worked for almost an hour, and 45 minutes was spent doing CPR. She suffered an aortic dissection. There was nothing we could do. I'm sorry" Mark said.

"You promised!" Lucy shouted, tears streaming down her face as she ran out of the trauma room.

"Lucy!" Carter called after her.

"Just let her go right now" Mark said as they watched Lucy strip of her gloves and gown and run down the hall.

**Yes? No? Maybe? Let me know**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

A/N: Please review it makes me happy

Lucy wasn't sure where she was running to, but she knew she needed to find a quiet place to just be by herself for a while. She stopped by the elevators and stairs and looked around with tears in her eyes. Abby rounded the corner just then and saw Lucy.

"Lucy?" Abby asked. Lucy turned and faced Abby before crumpling to the floor with tears streaming down her face. Abby ran over to her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Abby asked as she hugged her friend.

"She's gone." Lucy sobbed.

"Who's gone Lucy?"

"My mom. She and Kenz were in a car accident. Kenzie is now upstairs in the O.R. having surgery, and my mom didn't make it. I can't loose Kenzie too."

"Oh Lucy. I'm so sorry."

"Kenz has internal bleeding, she broke all three long bones in her leg, and she may have cracked or fractured her back"

"Geez. Here, lets sit somewhere" Abby said as she led Lucy over to a secret spot under the stairs.

"Thanks Ab." Lucy said as she continued sobbing into her friends shoulder. Abby just hugged her tightly.

"Is there anything I can do for you Luce?"

"Not right now. Just being here is help enough" Lucy said.

"Do you maybe want to go up to the OR waiting room and wait? Or maybe the chapel?"

"I don't believe in God, and if I did I would be very upset with him right now. But yea, we should go up and wait."

"Understandable. You want to make a detour at the cafeteria for coffee before we head up?"

"No. But thank-you. Do you mind if we take the stairs though?"

"Not at all. Would you rather have Carter here instead of me?" Abby asked.

"No. I'm mad at him. He promised he wouldn't let my mom die"

"Ok." Abby said knowing her friend well enough to not push and to change the subject. They stood up and began climbing the stairs.

"What am I going to do?" Lucy suddenly asked somewhere around the 5th floor.

"About what?" Abby asked sensing she missed part of the conversation.

"Kenzie"

"Ah. Well, do you guys have any other family?"

"No."

"Well, I think you know then. Because we both know the alternative is not good, and that you would never ever let that happen"

"You're right."

"Hey I'll help however I can, but you really need to talk to Carter."

"You're right, I do need to talk to Carter. This could change the course of our relationship"

"Hey. You can't think like that. This might come out the wrong way, but your first priority needs to be Mackenzie. She is going to need you now, more then ever before."

"Again, you're right. Mackenzie has to be my first priority. Lets keep going" Lucy said as they finished climbing the stairs in silence.

Meanwhile, down in the ER Cleo was standing at the admin desk doing some paperwork, when a police officer walked in.

"Excuse me. I have the backpack from the car that struck the pole. It was carrying the mother and daughter," he said.

"Thank you. I can take that," Cleo said taking the backpack and placing it on the floor.

"Can I ask how they are?"

"Mother didn't make it, and the daughter is up in surgery"

"God. Is there any family I can notify for you?"

"No, thank you. The mother had an older daughter who actually works here at the hospital, so the younger sister won't be alone."

"Wow, well could you please pass along my condolences to the family?"

"Absolutely. Officer…."

"Patterson."

"Thank you Officer Patterson, I will let the Knight family know."

"Thanks, the remainder of the personal items from the car are down at the police station."

"I'll let the family know." Cleo said as the officer put on his hat and headed back out through the doors.

Cleo picked up the backpack and headed upstairs to the surgical floor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

When Cleo arrived at the surgical waiting room, she found Lucy and Abby sitting in chairs. Lucy had her head in her hands and Abby was rubbing circles on her friend's back. Abby nodded her head in a silent acknowledgement of Cleo.

"Hey Lucy" Cleo said sitting down and putting the backpack by Lucy's feet. Lucy looked up and smiled weakly "Hi."

"Officer Patterson brought this over. I think it's Mackenzie's backpack. He sends his condolences"

"Thanks" Lucy said looking down. "That's Kenzie's bag." She added as she opened it.

"Leave it to Kenz to put Chuck in her carryon. She'll want him when she gets out of surgery" Lucy said lifting a stuffed beaver out of the bag.

"Why did she name a beaver Chuck?" Abby asked

"When she was little, I tried telling her that he was a beaver and not a woodchuck. She was convinced he was a woodchuck so she called him Chuck. It works I guess"

"Yes it does" Abby said smiling a little.

"Hey my moms camcorder. I bet she taped Kenzie's performance." Lucy said turning it on. "She did. You guys want to see Mackenzie dance?"

"Sure" Cleo said as they watched Mackenzie's solo, duet and the group performance. They also watched the awards, which Mackenzie won first for her solo; duet and the group performance came first as well.

"Wow, Lucy. She's really talented. I can understand why she asked me if she'd be able to dance again," Cleo said.

"Yea she loves it. Physically I think she'll be able to recover, but mentally and emotionally? I don't know"

"How long has she been dancing?" Cleo asked

"About 9 years in total, but she's been competing for the last 6 years"

"Wow."

"Yeah, she always said she wanted to be on Broadway"

"She still could, couldn't she?" Abby asked.

"Maybe. I mean Mac is one of the toughest kids I know, but I don't know how she would handle the emotional side. I don't know if it would remind her of mom too much. Right now, all I want is for her to make it through surgery"

"She will. You just need a little faith" Cleo reassured.

"Easier said then done"

"Ok, well, how about you think positively then. Positive outcomes only"

"I'll try, its just….hard" Lucy said wiping some tears away.

"I know it is" Cleo said as she gave Lucy a hug.

"Thanks" Lucy whispered.

"Don't mention it" Cleo said as the three of them sat in silence in the chairs. The only sound in the waiting room was the ticking of the clock and Lucy sniffling. Lucy held Chuck in her hands and kept trying to think positive thoughts. A considerable amount of time passed before Lucy spoke again.

"I keep thinking and hoping that this is some horrible nightmare and that I'll wake up and none of this will have happened."

"It sucks. I know. I lost my best friend when I was 17 in a hit and run. She was crossing the street and had the right of way. Then this guy came tearing around the corner, didn't slow, and didn't stop, even though he had a red light, just plowed straight into her. Then he fled the scene," Abby said.

"One of my brothers tried to kill himself. I remember waiting and hoping he'd pull through. I was 14 and he was 24. He pulled through in the end," Cleo said.

"I had no idea. Either of you guys"

"Not many people know about my brother" Cleo replied.

"And I don't talk about Lacey much because it's just too painful. So we know how difficult it is sitting and waiting. So how bout we play cards or something" Abby suggested.

"I guess so. It might help distract me" Lucy replied.

"I'll ask at the desk if they have any. If not, I know there are some in peds" Cleo said as she got up and headed to the desk. Abby and Lucy watched as Cleo asked, then watched as she headed to the elevators to go to peds. Once the elevator doors closed, Abby smiled and looked at Lucy.

"Guess what I know." Abby said like she was 7 and had a very big secret.

"What?" Lucy asked laughing slightly at the funny expression on her friends face.

"Dr. Finch is pregnant"

"What?! How do you know?"

"Well, about two weeks ago, they were short staffed up in OB, so I picked up a couple of shifts to help out. One day when I was up there, I saw her come out of an exam room with Dr. Coburn. She told me not to say anything to anyone."

"Wow, does Dr. Benton know?"

"I'm assuming she's told him"

"Do you know how far along she is?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere between 8-10 weeks. I'm pretty sure she just found out" Abby said and the elevator doors opened and Cleo stepped off and headed over to Abby and Lucy, with a deck of cards in her hands.

"Before we start, I'm going to see if I can steal some coffee from the surgical nurses. Anyone want anything?" Abby asked.

"I'm good. Thanks Abby" Lucy said "Dr. Finch?"

"Water's fine, thanks" Cleo replied as Abby headed off in search of coffee and water.

"How long has it been?" Lucy asked as she stood up and began pacing.

Cleo looked at her watch. "Close to maybe 4.5-5 hours. I'm starting to get hungry, I hope Abby brings back a couple of snacks."

"Why hasn't anyone come and told us anything then" Lucy said starting to get agitated.

"I don't know Lucy. I wish I did, but I don't." Cleo said as she stood to help Abby, who had her arms full of beverages and food. "Oh my god, Abby you are a mind reader" Cleo added as she took some of the items and put them down.

"Not really, I was hungry so I figured you guys were too." Abby said as she handed a snack to Lucy.

"I'm fine, thanks though"

"Luc, you have to eat something. Mackenzie needs you to be strong, and you can't do that if you pass out"

"I know, but my stomach feels all jumbled up"

"At least try the crackers," Abby offered.

"Ok, fine." Lucy said taking the crackers and siting down again as they began playing cards. However, Lucy's mind was elsewhere, as she stared into space.


End file.
